This is a site of enchanting contrasts. That would be the best definition of Amboro National Park, found at the "Elbow of the Andes", the precise spot in the Department of Santa Cruz where the Western Cordillera changes its direction towards the south.

This natural reserve in Bolivia -ranging in altitude from 300 to 3,200 mts- presents places that are somewhat inaccessible due to the fact that over time the crystal waters of the mountain streams have carved out deep canyons.

The weather of this natural reserve is temperate in the high areas and warm in the low ones. The average annual temperature ranges from 12 to 24 degrees Celsius, depending on the altitude.

Flora and Fauna

In the places where clouds constantly "flirt" with the slopes of Amboro, there are woods of giant ferns growing alongside cedars and maras (Swietenia macrophylla).

Here, everything is blanketed with intense greenery. Valleys, canyons and basins are difficult areas to access due to constant rainfall during the day.

A natural scenario inviting exploration, its area shows no traces of man, let alone roads and pathways. This area, favored as a resting and feeding mark for migratory birds, is known as the yunga region, and exhibits an unrivalled beauty of its own.

30 kms to the south, the rainfall is less unrelenting. In this place, the visitor will watch impressive mountains, many of whom are overrun by herds of grazing cattle.

In this area of Amboro National Park, known as the region of dry or mesothermal valleys, the hills are full with cacti and thorn bushes. One also notices the presence of a few isolated communities that have built roads and irrigation channels.

However, the wonder of the scenery is spread among the different altitude levels, where the trees and their seeds serve as home and sustenance of the numerous species of birds that fly over this area.

In Amboro there are 700 species of birds, including residents and migrants; some of them such as the pava de copete de piedra and the milano are native only to bd found y in the 637,000 hectares of this Bolivian park.

Within the fauna, certain species are important: notably the jucumari (Tremarctos ornatus), jaguar (Panthera onca) and the oso bandera (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), some of which are or have been endangered.

Amboro National Park has a lot of sights to offer: enormous and ancient trees, mad rivers like the Pirai and the Guenda, populated by hundreds of fish. These are only a few of the attractions of this natural area.


Present and future

The proximity of the Park to certain towns in the Department of Santa Cruz has not led to the building of roads suitable for tourism, as would be expected. However, there are now two precarious roadways that let visitors access the beauties of the Park.

The inflow of tourism has also brought tiny groups of unwanted people, whose illegal activities cause serious and irreparable damage to nature. Over three decades ago, this area suffered a series of occupations, forcing the government to launch its first settlement project of the eastern territories.

However, beyond these immediate plans and projects, there is no long-term concern about the possibility of the slow destruction of the humid tropical forests of Santa Cruz, leading to the gradual silencing of the honking and cawing of the migratory birds that fly over its rainy skies.

This is a place that not only invites one to admire its beauty, but also to make zoological and botanical research projects. The creation of special eco-tourism areas will benefit both the local inhabitants and all the people in the world who respect and admire wildlife.